@Mrs. Meowerson:I haven’t been able to do a french twist with my hair because there’s just way too much of it for bobby pins or clips to hold (a basic up do takes around 200 bobby pins for my hair). BUT, did you ever look at walmart/target’s hair accessory section? They have these neat looking devices for doing french twists. I’m so vague, I know, but I’ve always wanted to use them, but i’ve just got way too much hair for them to hold.

In case you have thick hair and you’re worried it wouldn’t work for you…it’s not that I have thick hair, my hair is actually very fine…it’s just that I have a bajilion strands.

At any rate, I about chocked on my lunch when I read you Beuller? comment.

I went with my mom to Icing (it’s like Claire’s for high schoolers :)) and we bought one of those things that do it for you. I have a lot of fine hair too, but it actually held up for about 12 hours with just a little bit of hairspray and one bobby pin. I don’t think it was over $5 and it was really worth it!

@Sady Jane: have you found something you can do with your hair? mine is exactly the same.. super fine, but tons of it! and all of my favorite inspiration pictures have curls or waves of some sort… and we all know that isnt happening haha

@kasmal:Well I get a crazy headache about five minutes after I put my hair up in almost every fashion, however I can do two things without having a headache:

Those spider (large version) clippies they sell at Walmart are great, as long as I put it in when my hair is wet and will form the way I want it to (my hair is straight as can be and refuses to curl). I just pull my hair back like a ponytail…I don’t always actually need to put a band in…then wrap it up like a bun, and shove the clippie over as much of my hair as possible. This is hit or miss on the headache note when my hair gets really long. Sometimes I have to play around with how the clippie is holding onto my head, but it seems as though if I put the ponytail holder in I have better luck.

More often I do a sort of French Fish Tail with my hair tucked up under. It takes loads of practice, and again I can only do it right when my hair is damp.

I first put in my part wherever I want it (this is a big thing for me cause I look really goofy with no part). Then I brush my hair back so it’s all sort of pointing toward the back of my head.

I pull back a small portion like I’m going to put it in a half ponytail, but split it in two pieces (not necessarily where my part splits…two even pieces here

Then take a small piece from the right portion and carefully pull it over to the left portion…i say carefully because you have to watch you don’t leave bumps and stuff

pull the new portions tight and break a little piece from the left and pull it to the right

now (and this is why I brushed it all back and hold my head tilted back) take a tiny piece of hair from the right, but not out of the section that’s in your hands. I start near my face and run my finger nail along the base of my hand portion until i reach the middle of my head, then pull that over to the left. I hope that made sense.

Then do the same from the left, pulling over to the right

I take very small pieces because it stays in longer this way…but that means it takes longer to do.

Continue pulling pieces from left to right and right to left until you reach the base of your neck and all your hair has been added to what’s in your hands

then continue to pull pieces from left/right and right/left but now pulling from the ponytail you’re creating in your hands. This part is tricky and if you’re going to tuck it up under like I do, you don’t have to worry too much about how it looks…it’s hard because your arms and your back hurt trying to bend right.

I braid about 3/4 of the ponytail, then tie it off with a holder…personally, I put two in just because my hair doesn’t always hold with just one. I also fold the unbraided portion backward so the end of the pony is rounded off (for the next step)

Then feel with your fingers for the hole you created underneath your braid on your head, and tuck up the pony section. you kind of have to wiggle it around stray strands.

I shove it up as far as I can get it, then sort of pull a little strand from the outside over the left and right, to kind of hold it up in there. when my hair is really heavy, I hold that strand in with a bobby pin.

Two bobby pins and two ponytail holders is all I use. Sometimes i have to wiggle my neck around to keep it from pulling little hairs, but with practice I’ve gotten pretty good.

It does take a ton of practice and sore arms to do though. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to do now, but it holds all day and it’s held through the night before too. I have NEVER gotten a headache from this way of doing it, and I plan on doing this for my wedding.